Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-02-06
SENATOR sreNFoRp,s MAIL.
y Clerk Employed TO Sift Out the
Letters OF Cranks.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 5.-Seuator LELAND
Stanford employs 8 sharp-witted eX-
journalist as his private secretary to silt
out OF his daily mail the letterH OF cranks,
dead beats and beggars, and keeps three
or four shorthand writer's busily engaged
IN preparing the answers to those that
require attention. The mass OF letters
that are poured in upon the senator from
the post office, morning aud evening, is 80
great that it would De appalling to a man
less methodical in his habits or less able
TO employ competent assistance. They
come from all sorts and conditions or
people, but those who have something to
sell are among the most persistent OF the
senator's correspondents. Il believe he
would own one-half the land in the coun-
try If he bought all that was offered"
said his private secretary. 81 don't
believe there are many land
poor men left between the two oceans
whom we have not heard from. And We
are always assured that big fortune is
impatiently waiting for the Senator to
puck up with the land that tue writer
is so anxious to dispose of. Strange, isn't
1t, that there should be 80 much disiuter-
ested generosity in the world! But It is
not land q one that Mr.. StauiOrd's cor
respondents offer TO sell him. Every
person who has rare bargain in any,
thing and who has bored his friends and
pesteIed everybody else whom be c0u d
gct at and failed to dispose Of it; uusuc-
0tsSui SPECTATORS oil every sort; prOjec.
tors of new railroads who have got 10 the
ends of their ropes but have not got their
lines completed to anywhere; organizers
OF financial, commercial and munulau-
turing enterprises. 10 say nothing OF the
numberless solicitors for aid for all sorts
of educational, benevolent and religious
institutions that are IN financial straits,
all write TO nim."
Aud these letters do nor all come from
American correspondent The fame of
Senator StanfOrd's millions and of his
more than princely generosity has gone
beyond the sea and brings him every
week great packages OF letters bearing
foreign pOstmarks. A curious one re-
ceived few days ago was dated at st.
Petersburg, written in bad French, and
signed by a man who said he was Rus
sian Count, who offered TO sell "A great slice
OF the Cars empire. | have forgotten
now many millions or acres he SAID there
were. The beauties of this vast domain,
its untold agricultural ard mineral re-
sources and the delights of its saubrious
climate, were described by master hand.
Iuclosed with the letter was formidable
over with seals aud attestatiOns, setting
forth that the writer had right to Sell
the territory he offered, and the names of
nigh Russian officials and representatives
OF foreign governments n st. Petersburg
were given, to whom Senator stanford
was referred and invited TO write or tele-
graph in regard to the Counts respOnsi-
bility. The senator will not probably
make the purchase this year.
Perhaps one-balf of the letters that
come in Senator Stanford's mail are
from women, and a study Of this part OF
his mail reveals some curious phases of
human nature and discloses some strange
workings of the human mind. 1t is in
tereStlng to note how nine out OF ten of
these female correspondents begin their
communications with the same stereo-
typed sentences or phrases. 81 know
that you will consider it presumptuous
IN me TO write to you" saws the first one.
"Of course you will be offended upon re-
celving tbls," reads the second. 81 SUP
pose you Will be surprised that | should
address you," runs the third. And the
opening sentences of all the rest are only
permutations of these. Then many OF
them express the conviction that there
is very little prospect that my letter will
ever reach you personally, for it will be
destroyed by your private secretary,
nevertheless" etc. If the writer is
married weman she always declares tnat
she "writes this letter without the knOWl-
edge OF ner husband"
A peculiarly of the women's letters ia
that they 90 all around Robin Hoods
barn before they come to the thing they
want to say. A woman who warned
money enough to buy a new piano, instead
OF saying SO right out, preiaced her re-
quest with narrative OF her family
history, IA history OF the piano abe bad,
The usage 1t had been subjected to, its
Getting out OF tune recently, her efforts
TO restore it, and the cost. This was fol-
lowed by a profusiOn OF excuses Tor adj
dressing letter 10 the senator, re
recital or her trials and struggles, and,
finally, after wading through pages Of
irrelevant matter, the request Tor the
money was found by the reader in the
last TWO or three lines.
OF course only small part of Senator
StantOrd's mail Is ans WCred, even through
the proxy of his private secretary. But
all the letters are read IN order That none
that Ouz hit to have attention snail be over
looked: all business letters are promptly
disposed of as well as those relating to
public affairs or any business which the
Senator's constituents may have with any
department OF the government. Then all
institutions, either educational, benevo-
lent or religious, also receive careful con
siderat!on and a respectful answer. Many
letters from private individuals, also.
which contain internal evidence that they
deserve attention, are either replied TO
or an investigation is set on foot OF the
subjects TO which they relate. For Sena-
tor stanford is a great-hearJed man. as
unOste ntatiOus as ne is generous in the
assistance OF those VINO are really deserv-
ing and in need. But many of his CORE
spOndents write themselves down
''cranks," "adyenturers," "deadbeats,"
as plainly as though they had stamped
those words across the faces Of their let
ters in great red characters. Their com
munications invariably 90 into the waste
basket. and are put TO excellent use in
Lighting the Senatorial kitchen fires.
u. l.. WHITE.
"Eough ON Piles"
Wa aufrpr pilps2 Immpd late relief and